I guess that the printed circuit board was the actual cause of your total darkness eh.

Some time ago I had a new 55-200VR DX Nikon lens, It came with a D50 kit but I never used that lens, it sat in its box for a year (possibly it took 10 shots in total from new)
Anyway I went to a local dealer in the UK and asked for part exchange and he informed me, quite rightly as it turned out that the lens was not foccussing correctly.
I sent it to Nikon in its original box approximately one week over its one year warrenty, several long weeks later I received an estimate which was not only far more than the lens could be purchased for new at a genuine dealer, the list of parts they said required replacement covered virtually everthing inside the thing.
They didnt want to now about the item being virtually new, no compassion at all.
Cut my losses and sold it on the auction site having written an honest account of why it was being sold.

Visit my Nikonians gallery.